Metal construction



UNITED vsraxrlzs oFFl'cE.

EDWARD EUGENE BROWN AND DERMOT J' OSEPH MOONEY, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

METAL CONSTRUCTION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 28, 1920. Serial No. 354,722. I

London, En land, have inventeda new and'- Improved etal Construction, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to improvements in metal construction, and more particularly to an improved construction of spar, web, or other metal frame device for use' in connection with airplanes, an object of the invention being to provide a spar which will e'mbody the maximum of strength and at the same time be as light inweight as is possible consistent with the use.

A further Objectis to provide a bar composed of sheet metal having-hollow' flanges at the edges of the web of the bar, and these flanges may be formed by bending the edges of the web portion of the bar or they may constitute separate parts altogether, riveted or otherwise secured to the web o f the bar.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts as will be more fully hereinafter described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 -is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating one form of our invention. Figs. 2, 3, 1, 5,' 6 and 7 are similar views illustrating modifications.

In all forms of our invention, as illustrated in the drawings, we shall employ the reference character A to indicate the web of the bar land the reference character B to indicate the flanges of the bar, and while these parts differ in shape and construction, and such differences will be specifically pointed out in connection with the description of each figure, these same reference characters will be utilized in all figures.

Referring particularly to Fig. 1 the web A and the flanges B at one side thereof are formed from a single integral metal plate, while the flanges B at the other side of the web are formed from separate independent plates and bent into the shape of the flanges B and secured to the web A of the har. These flanges B are formed by bending the plates outwardly as shown at 1 and then inwardly at an incline as shown at 2 with the extreme edges of the plates bent at a sharp 'are bowed outwardly at their 'center as shown at 11.

angle forming which are secured to the web A by rlvets 4, or. by spotwelding,

Aor other` ,approved securing means. 'The `flanges B are preferably corrugated on their outer faces for strength, and it is to be understoodjthat the metal forming the parts] of 'the bar is relatively thin and as light as conslstent with the strength desired.

In the modification illustrated in Fig. 2

Patented Aug. 31, 1920.

the web A and the flanges B at one side v thereof are made integral, and the plate A forming such flange. and web is bentdifferently from the plates shown in Fig. 1.

To be more specific, the main plate of the structure shown in Fig. 2 -is first bent outwardly forming the inclined inner-portions 2 of the flanges and is then bent inwardly forming the corrugated outer portions 1 of the flanges. The flanges B atthe other side of the bar constitute' separate parts and are riveted or otherwise secured to the web A, and the latter is laterally offset at the point of attachment of the lips 3 as shown at 5.

lIn this modification of Fig. 2- we also illustrate the web A as having outwardly projecting tongues 6 which form a vertical strengthening standard.

In the modification illustrated in Fig. 3, the web A constitutes a separate plate, and the flanges B are independent plates bent into the hollow shape shown and secured to the web' A. l

In Fig. 4 the construction. illustrated is precisely like that shown in Fig. v3 except that the web A is corrugated as shown at 7.

In the modification illustrated in Fig. 5 theweb A is formed of two plates 8 and'9 with the hollow flanges B secured thereto,

f and the eXtreme edges of these plates 8 and `9 are flared apart as shown at 10 extending partially over the outer faces of the flanges B, and for strength the plates of the web longitudinal In the modfication illustrated in Fig. 6 the flanges B are made integral With the plates 8 and 9 forming the web A and these flanges are bent so as to bring their inner ends between the pla-tes 8 and 9 where they .are securely riveted o1'A otherwise connected.

In the modification illustrated in-F ig. 7 the flanges B are formed of separate plates and the plates 8 and 9 of the web A are projected into the hollow flanges, and at their point of connection with the metal of the flanges they are bowed outwardly slightly i It will be noted that in all forms of our Iimproved bar that the flanges at the edges of the web A are hollow and of a general triangular shape, more or less distorted, thus permitting the 'maximum of strength to be imparted to the bar while employing extremely thin' metal plates, and if desired for othervlight structures the flanges B at one Side of the web A can be omitted altogether. Y

Various other slightgchanges might be made in the general form and arrangement of parts described without departing from our invention, and hence-we do not limit ourselves to the precise details set forth,

but considerl ourselves at liberty to make such changes and alterations asfairly fall within the spirit and scope of the appended Claims.

We claim: l

l1. A metal spar, comprising la web, and hollow flanges at both sides of the web at both longitudinal edges thereof, said hollow flanges having straightinclined inner portions and curved outer edges, and the outer portions of said flanges having a compoundcurvature transversely.

2. A metal spar, comprising a web,l and hollow flanges at both sides of the web at both longitudinal edges thereof, said hollow flanges having straight inclined inner portions and convexly curved outer edges' and the outer portions of said flanges having a. compound curvature transversely.

EDWARD EUGENE BROWN. DERMOT JOSEPH MOONEY. 

